


A Curse (Tangled: The Series)

by ten_out_of_tenma



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: (FINISHED), My TTS/RTA OC's story, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 12,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26787130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ten_out_of_tenma/pseuds/ten_out_of_tenma
Summary: A magician comes to Corona for a visit to perform his magic tricks! But what are really his intentions into coming to Corona?
Relationships: Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel & Varian
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. Entering Corona

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This fic was rushed when I finished writing this just to give a heads up! But I hope you will enjoy reading this for fun just how I wrote this for fun! ^^

It was an early morning in Corona, many people in town were doing their jobs and business for their earnings. Children played and laughed around. The guards of the Corona kingdom were always on duty and were precise on their actions. Uncle Monty, the owner of the sweet shop, sold many of his sweets full of sugary goodness that satisfied many taste buds. Especially for the children who enjoyed sugar itself.  
Princess Rapunzel, the long blond-haired girl, was in bed peacefully asleep when her little green chameleon friend woke her up with a gentle snuggle on her cheek. She awoke with a smile in delight, happy to see Pascal first thing in the morning. She held him close to her face and snuggled him back with a giggle.

Cassandra, who is the princess' maiden servant in the kingdom, knocked and entered inside to help Rapunzel with her preparation for the day.  
“Good morning, Raps. Hope you had a good sleep.” Cassandra gently brushed the princess’ hair with the hair brush’s bristles softly running through her hair.  
Rapunzel smiled, “I enjoyed my rest after a long day yesterday. It was completely exhausting to organize the things with the town's people of Corona.”  
“Well, today’s event is a magic show. There’s a new magician in town who is performing their magic tricks.”  
The princess’ eyes brightened like a child receiving a toy they wanted, “A magic show!? We shouldn’t miss it since it’s happening right now!” She quickly changed her bed clothes into her out wear dress that is normally always purple that fits her look and size; with her escaping the room gleefully excited to see what awaits her outside.

When she entered the outside of the kingdom, she breathed in the fresh morning air with the white fluffy clouds floating in the blue sky. The beautiful sky looked like a painting of a masterpiece. As Rapunzel walked out on the streets of Corona with Pascal upon her shoulder, she heard a group of crowd applauding in amazement. The crowd went wild in cheering and screaming while the children were entertained when the magician magically walked in mid air. The magician wore a black cape, pants, and magician top hat. His gloves were white and he wore a white smiley mask. 

~

After the whole performance was finished, the magician took a bow while the crowd cheered. He then suddenly vanished in white smoke and disappeared.

“That was marvellous! Wasn’t it, Pascal?” She clapped in applause along with the crowd. The little green chameleon squealed and smiled in agreement.  
“I may have missed most of his performance, but good thing I saw the part where he magically walked on air! I wonder how he did that..” 

Cassandra approached Rapunzel in her casual-wear, “Hey Raps, how was the magic show?”  
“It was great! Although I missed most of the things he performed, except for the last magic performance where he walked on air!”  
“I guess that must be one of his greatest magic tricks to perform to impress the audience.” 

~

“A magician in Corona?! I can’t believe I missed the show!” Cried out Eugene, his hands implanted on his face in gloom.  
“Oh, come on, Eugene, maybe he’ll come back later in the day to perform again?” Comforted Rapunzel.  
“Eugene, that performance was something that you were missing out on. You should’ve known earlier that the show was going to be early in the morning.” teased Cassandra with her arms crossed.  
“Cassandra, you’ve missed the show too! And it’s not like I’ve wanted to watch anything entertaining…In fact, I think I’ll be heading outside to find something else entertaining.”  
The brown-haired man huffed and marched out of the conversation with Rapunzel and Cassandra while he hid his teary eyes from missing the magic show. 

~

The black-suited man roamed around in the town and walked about exploring new things in Corona. He was surprisingly tall and thin; his hands were always kept behind his back with his dark black cape that flowed through the air pleasantly. 

“Mr. magic man!”  
He whipped around with his cape in a whirl, facing the voice that called him.  
“Can you do a magic trick for me..?” It was a little girl, her hands behind her back as she shyly looked down at the ground.  
He knelt down towards the girl and extended his hand, facing his palm upwards. A beautiful red wine rose grew out on top of the palm of his hand in a quick time lapse. The amazed child gently took the flower out of his hand, brought it close to her nose and sniffed the natural scent of nature, embracing the sweet scent it gave. She smiled in appreciation and thanked the man.


	2. A Magic Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene becomes childish over a magic trick from the magician. He asks him to perform a trick and impresses him. But when he performed it, Eugene became utterly surprised and puzzled to how the man did the trick.

“Excuse me! Mr. Magician man!” Eugene shouted for him to halt. He huffed from running behind him from afar, he placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “You’re the guy who performed the magic show today!” He pointed his finger towards him with a smile. “I mean,” he fake-coughed and whispered for the magician, “If you don’t mind, would you like to show me a magic trick?” 

The magician nodded and motioned his hands, there was a bright light of glittery sparkles shining and illuminating. Behind the magical light was a golden flower that looked just like the Sun Drop flower. The astonished brown-haired man widened his eyes, “This looks just like that Sun Drop flower…” he whispered. He carefully grabbed the natural beauty from the hands of the magician. It shined, sparkled, and glistened just like the real Sun Drop flower.  
Eugene didn’t know how to respond to this magic trick. His expression was full of amazement and puzzlement as to how this man did it.   
He must’ve used an enormous pound of glitter to give the effect of the flower’s sparkle and shine, Eugene dumbly thought. The brown-haired man finally gave a salute in appreciation and continued his day.   
~  
“Blondie! Look at what the magic man gave me!” shouted Eugene, running like a fascinated child from the magic trick.   
“It looks just like the- Oh, where did it go?”   
“What is it, Eugene?” Rapunzel asked kindly, she glanced off her painting canvas and settled down her paintbrush along with her painting palette that had various eye-catching colours.   
“There was a really beautiful flower just in my hand… Aw, must’ve dropped it. What a bummer..” he sighed in disappointment.   
“Well, we can probably visit one of his performances another time, Eugene. Besides at least you’ve seen one of his tricks,” she gently smiled radiantly, holding the hands of her lover. His hands were much bigger than hers, but they were nicely warm.


	3. It's Magic, not Science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene meets up with Varian about the Sun Drop flower magic trick the magician performed to him. They then decide to face this magician and personally ask him a question. After the young alchemist and bearded-man talked to him, the magician asks for their names and sends them off.

“A magician in Corona? But magic tricks are certainly never real which is of course why they are called ‘magic tricks’,” the young alchemist said.  
“Look kid, he gave me a flower to what seemed to look like the actual SunDrop flower! Thank goodness I didn’t specify to Rapunzal what type of flower he used to perform the trick. Although I probably dropped it when I got all too excited, it was just in my hands!” The bearded-man sobbed in despair.  
“That SunDrop flower, it couldn’t really be the real one?”   
“It did look like it was, but it possibly might be fake just to put on a show, y’know?”  
Varian became worried, “Perhaps, if we had a direct private interview with this magician, we could then confirm if it was either artificial or real.”  
“I don’t think he would just easily answer us. Maybe we can try to forcefully-”  
“Or we can begin to go to Corona where this man is.”

~

“Excuse me,” Varian was struggling to pass through the crowded audience while the tall-brimmed hat magician was performing, white doves flew up high in the sky right under his hat, where he released them. When the show was over, the alchemist and the bearded man finally reached out to the performer.   
“Excuse me, sir. My friend and I would like to do a quick private interview with you if you don’t mind.”   
“Ah, yes you may. Fortunately, you’re lucky that I’m on my break now.” He answered. His voice was extremely deep, but soothing and calm to listen to.   
“You- you spoke!” Eugene gasped in surprise.  
The tall man chuckled, “Yes, I normally don’t speak,” he gestured and welcomed them into his circus tent, “Please, take a seat.”   
The teenage alchemist and the brown-haired man sat on high wooden stools. For Varian, it was quite hard for him to get up on the tall seat, but he eventually figured a way up onto it.   
The magician gave a good laugh, “Too high for you, my boy?”  
“Ahaha, yes...” The teenage boy laughed awkwardly, his rabbit teeth showing.   
“Now, we would like to interview you, sir. May we ask a few questions?” Asked Eugene sternly.   
“Ah, of course, of course,” He repeated, “Shall we start?”  
“Okay, let’s start with a simple question first; what brings you here to Corona?”  
“My dream place is Corona and I was thinking of visiting Old Corona to perform some of my tricks as well. I’ve visited many places to bring on a show and smiles for my audience, especially children. It makes me happy seeing them entertained when I’m on stage.”  
“May I ask about the flower trick you pulled on Eugene this morning?” Varian asked. The magician nodded, “Was that a real SunDrop you gave him?”  
“Ah yes, you see, that was just an illusion, my boy. Unfortunately, my tricks aren’t as magical as they seem.”   
“So I didn’t lose the flower in my hands?” Asked Eugene.  
The performer shook his head, “After losing sight of it, the illusion will disappear. Even if it was in your hands.”  
“But how?- When I touched the flower, it felt real and it looked alive! And not to mention, what happened to that one red rose you gave to the girl? Don’t tell me you left her crying right after!”   
“No, that one rose I gave her was definitely real… I just made the illusion to make it look like it was growing out of my palm.”  
“What? That’s not fair, she gets a real flower and I don’t!?” Eugene huffed as he pouted in irritation.   
“I see. Thank you for your time, sir. It was nice meeting a splendid performer like yourself,” Varian said and shook his hands with a smile.   
“I’m happy to hear that. I won’t be staying here for long though because I have to get to my next stop at which I will be performing, haha!”   
“Certainly.” Eugene said.   
Varian then coughed towards the tall man and whispered, “Do you use the magnificent works of science to do your tricks?”  
The magician genuinely smiled behind his mask, “It’s not Science, it’s magic,” he laughed teasingly.  
“Well, that’s what most magicians quote,” Varain laughed along.  
“Before you leave, may I know what both your names are?”   
“I’m Varain and this is Eugene. I live in Old Corona, so I’m looking forward to seeing your performances live.”   
“I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again as well, Varian.”


	4. The Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the interview with Varian and Eugene, the magician reveals that she is a female. The magician tries to think of a way on how to reach out to Varian and make him fall for her to break her curse before it’s too late.

After the interview, the magician was walking around in circles inside her small circus tent with her thinking cap on. She couldn’t stay in Corona for too long. She lied about going to other places to perform some of her magical tricks just to stay undercover. 

‘I need a plan on how to reach out to him… Varian. He’s the only one who can lift me from this curse.’ 

She buried her face in her hands in worry. The curse would be difficult to break if it didn’t go as planned. She knew that she just needed him to fall in love with her and that should solve everything! ...But she also knew that it wouldn’t be that easy.   
If her love interest didn’t fall in love with her soon, her face would begin to slowly crack as if she were a polyester doll that had slowly been rotting, and when the time is up, she herself would be shattered into millions pieces of glass. The magician removed her white mask, set it down on the dresser mirror and looked at her reflection. Her smooth skin was a warm rich brown milk chocolate colour, her ravenous night hair was in wavy curls with her fringe hanging in bouncy curls. Her rosy lips were small but plump and her deep brown eyes were like the eyes of a fox. She had a beauty mark on her upper cheek near her left eye and a nose that was tall and sharp. She sighed in disappointment at the person she was looking at in the mirror. All she felt was the contempt of ugliness conquering her mind. The colour of her skin was what helped her to remember that she was also a human and not just a cursed soul.

‘Valerie, now’s not the time to think about your appearance, but how to break this curse. She shook her head, trying to focus.’

She enjoyed being finally out of her home for the first time and exploring new things that she didn’t know existed. She was afraid if she showed up in Corona as herself, she would unintentionally scare people away because of how different she looked. That’s why she needed to disguise herself in crowds, and she knew being a masked magician would help.  
Valerie had heard of many myths and legends of how she was “the beast.” A monstrous being, and the thought of it brought her down to her knees. She knew many people would be frightened if they knew right away how she looked without the mask. Valerie had read and seen pictures of predictions of “the beast” from many different storybooks and strongly hated that it was what others thought of her. But they didn’t really know what she looked like. 

“Hey- excuse me, sir.”   
Valerie immediately put the mask on, straightened her back, and turned to the voice.  
It was a very short old man; his white beard tied like a mini ponytail at the end of it, his nose was stubby, and his teeth were crooked. He laughed, “I saw what you did there,” he drew closer to Valerie, pointing his finger at her, “You were secretly eating candy from Monty’s Sweet Shoppe!”   
She tilted her tall top hat with her fake masculine laugh to the strange old man and exited the circus tent.


	5. Backstory: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is part 1 of Valerie’s backstory.

It was a dark chilly night outside. The moon shone and the stars twinkled. The candle was lit, and the wax slowly melted away. The little black-haired girl was playing around in giggles while her mother tickled her.   
“It’s time to head to bed now, Diana. It’s almost past your bedtime.” Her mother gently said.   
“Aww, okay.”   
Her mother, Athena, smiled as her child obeyed.   
Tucking her child in bed, Athena gave her a soft kiss on her daughter’s forehead. She looked at her daughter’s face with a smile that slowly faded away. She was worried about little Diana’s future. The townspeople of Corona declared war the last time Damien, Diana’s father, and Athena were trying to rob everyone in Corona, including that they attempted to steal Princess Rapunzel's tiara. They were angry about their actions and wanted revenge for what they did. Athena could sense danger coming towards her family like a rock falling off from a cliff.   
“Diana, no matter what happens in the future-,” she looked intently at her child’s eyes and paused for a second before spoke, “Don’t forget how much we love you.”   
Athena stood up to leave Diana’s bedroom, but before she could close her door; Diana instantly rose from her bed, “Wait, can I have a bedtime story?”   
She gently smiled again, “It’s getting late now, how about tomorrow?”   
The little girl nodded and the mother closed her door.

When she closed the child’s door, Damien approached Athena, his wife.  
“Ath, we need to find somewhere else to live. I think it’s far too dangerous for us to continue living here,” said Damien, after making sure Diana was asleep.  
She sighed, “I know, and I’m worried about Diana. What if they try to hurt her?”  
“Diana is just a child, it would just be ridiculous for them to do such a thing. And she’s not even part of this. This was from our past actions.”  
“Damien, what should we do?... I’m afraid about the future...” She bit her lower lip. Her body trembled as she thought of what could be the future for them, for their daughter.  
“They will attack anytime soon… I’m not sure exactly when, but we need to leave immediately.”  
“Pack up the important things... Don’t wake Diana up so we carry her to the carriage. I’ll directly talk to King Fredric about this.” He whipped out his long dark coat from the coat rack.  
Athena clasped her husband’s wrist, “It will be risky, I can sense danger drawing near.”  
He calmed her down with his charming smile, “Whatever happens, take care of our child.”  
~  
“We shouldn’t tolerate this, your majesty. The people of Corona have gone mad. It was only a few years ago, but you must remember that these thieves, Athena and Damien, stole the kingdom’s belongings.” Argued Nigel, the royal advisor.  
“And they’ve stolen your only child, Princess Rapunzel!” Nigel reminded King Fredric.

The king of Corona sighed in stress. The responsibility of being king was like carrying the weight of a gigantic boulder. He was in the process of thinking about what to do for his people. The queen gently put her hand on his shoulder with a smile of comfort.  
He made up his mind and ordered, “We will have to throw Athena and Damien into prison for their past actions. They have been on the Kingdom’s most wanted list for many years and my subjects haven’t had their justice yet. I think it’s time for us to take action... and to save our daughter.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

The Kingdom doors immediately opened and the most wanted thief, Damien, stood in the doorway. He sternly walked towards the king and queen of Corona, keeping a straight-face. He knelt down before them with his head facing down towards the ground. The royal advisor stared at the old criminal and widened his eyes in shock at seeing him when they were just talking about him. In fact, everyone in the room was surprised to see the thief.

“King Fredric, please... spare us. We should have apologized in the past for our actions. I mean no harm this time.” Damien was silently praying for nothing to happen to his family while he stayed kneeling at the palace kingdom of Corona. He was just as worried as Athena was.

“Damien, you and your wife will have to spend the rest of your lives behind bars because of your actions and for taking the princess of Corona away from us.” 

Damien became puzzled and looked up, “But your sire, we didn’t take away the princess. We don’t have her with us.” 

“Damien, I don’t want to fall into one of your old tricks and games again. I had trusted you but you broke my trust. Release the princess or you and your wife will be taken to prison by force.” 

The black-haired man, who was kneeling before the king and queen, had no idea what to do. He didn’t take the princess, but he did break the king’s trust and it was his fault for all the crimes he had committed in the past. Now he must accept the punishment for his family.

“Your sire, we did not take away the princess,” Damien repeated, continuing to pray silently to himself for things to settle soon. 

“Very well... if you refuse to accept that you have stolen our daughter. You and your wife will be thrown in prison for the rest of your lives. Guards take him away and find Athena.”   
The guards obeyed the king and grabbed the black-haired man by his arms, dragging him away to the dungeon jail cells.  
Damien was struggling to escape, “WAIT! WAIT!! KING FREDRIC, DON’T HURT ATHENA AND DIANA!”

The king halted the guards and listened to the man speak.  
“Please... I’m begging for forgiveness... you may throw me to jail, but don’t do anything to my family…”

“You took our daughter, Damien. And I will never forgive you for that.” He gestured to the guards to drag Damien to the jail cells. The king had a deep grudge towards this man who he believed had stolen his child, Rapunzel and resisted to tolerate his miserable actions. 

“WAIT!! WAIT!! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!!- ATHENA!! DIANA!!”

The doors of the dungeon cell closed in with the echoes of Damien’s screaming his loved ones’ names.


	6. Backstory: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is part 2 of Valerie's backstory.

“Oh, no... Damien… ” Athena covered her mouth while her heart began to panic.   
As a witch, she had the ability to anticipate what will happen in the future, and she could easily sense that her husband was in danger. She had a beautiful emerald necklace wrapped around her neck, which gave her the ability to see over the sky and watch over any specific human.   
The awoken child opened her bedroom door and rubbed her eyes, “Mommy, where’s daddy? I had a bad dream where he abandoned us.” She yawned sleepily. Her mother promptly leaned over to her little one and ran her hand through her long ravenous hair, “Daddy, will never abandon us, Diana. He loves you very much. Now I want you to get yourself ready and quickly pack up some of your things, we will be travelling to the North Mountain where your father is right now,” she lied.  
There was a small old wooden cabin where Athena and Damien used to live in. Although the white snow in the mountain was such a pain to walk through, it was the only place Athena could think of to stay in at the moment. Athena read Damien’s mind, saying, to go back to their cabin home at North Mountain without him. She was upset that her husband had been taken away to prison when he tried to ask for mercy from the king. But what’s done is done, thought Athena.

“Let’s go, Diana, your father is waiting for us in the mountains.”   
Athena and her daughter were on a wooden carriage outside with tamed horses and their belongings that they needed. She whipped the horses as they trotted on the green grass and muddy ground. The night was dark as the feather of a raven where the moon and stars looked brighter than ever. The lamp candle was hanging over Athena’s shoulder, giving light in the dark night and led the path.  
Before they could escape the forest, a crowd of people from Corona with flaming torches and pitchforks was already in the forest by the time when the mother and daughter were trying to escape. The flames gleamed in the dark night, making it visible for Athena to see where the angry mob was; they were shouting in rage and anger, making Athena think it’s getting riskier to attempt to escape immediately. She knew that she would be taken away from her daughter and that they would be separated. She tried to escape the crowd, but the crowd heard the horses neighing loudly and the gallops in the forest and ran to find the source of the sound. 

“Mommy, what’s happening?” asked the puzzled, scared child.  
“Diana, ... "Athena immediately removed the jewelry around her neck and gave it to her daughter as a gift while she handled the riding carriage. “This necklace will give you the power to watch over anyone, including your true love who will break your genetic curse. Please remember that… your father and I love you so much. Don’t forget that.”  
The little one stared at the beauty of the green stoned necklace. It mesmerized Diana with it’s sparkles and glitter. She quickly put on the jewelry and held onto the stone tightly.

“THERE SHE IS! THE WITCH!”

The carriage’s wheel instantly burst out from the rocky ground area. The horses were set free, trotting quickly away with the wooden carriage broke down.  
Athena calmly smiled, “Goodbye, Diana.”  
She was forcibly taken away from her. The little girl wept aloud and struggled to escape the arms of a village man when she was caught.  
“MOMMY!- MOMMY!!” She screamed in deep sorrow, watching as the townspeople of Corona taking her away from her sight. With Diana pulled away from her mother, she stomped on the man’s foot who was holding her hostage and ran away from them. 

“Why you little brat-!”   
From a distance, she could hear them saying “You let her go?!”  
Abruptly, a young boy about her age caught her and muffled her screams.   
“Hah! Good job, Liam! We knew we could count on you!”   
“Now, what should we do with you?” The village man was slapping a thick stick against his hand, circling around Diana, “Your parents were criminals, you know that? And we’re not going to tolerate their actions.”   
“The reason why you’re here is that you were born a witch. You were born to be used as a weapon against us!”   
“Jonathan, I think that’s too far. She’s just a child-“   
“Silence! She’s the witch’s and thief's daughter! Why would you just allow her off the hook?!”   
His friend put his hand on his shoulder, “She’s just a child, Jonathan. They already took her parents away.” He repeated.  
His eyes were clearly eager to punish the little girl, but then he refused his eagerness and sighed in agreement.   
“Okay, let's just- Wait, where did she go?” 

She disappeared all of a sudden from their sight and ran away from the townspeople. She was so scared and was trapped in fear. It was as if she was being trapped inside a cage. Her warm tears streamed and poured down her cheeks. She already missed her parents. But what that village man said, Jonathan, ...Was it true to Diana? Why would her parents keep something like this away from her? She loved them so much and trusted them, yet they were criminals all along. She stopped running, closed her teary eyes, and screamed in agony with her clenched fists.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside Valerie's circus tent, she receives unwanted childhood flashbacks of losing her parents from townspeople of Corona. She then finds her personal emerald necklace which was given by her mother before they separated. Suddenly, she unexpectedly comes across Varian, the young alchemist.

“Ow,... My head kind of hurts..” The black-haired girl sat down on her dresser mirror chair as she was shutting her eyes from her headache, receiving sudden flashbacks. She looked at her jewelry box and found her special necklace that was a gift from her mother. It was personal to her. The stone was emerald so beautiful that she was fascinated by it again; just like how she was when she first saw its beauty. It also reminded her of her mother’s green emerald eyes. Her mother’s eyes were so attractive that you could almost get hypnotized. Valerie was in her small circus tent, in her light bright blue robe with luminous bouncy hair in curls and minimal makeup . She sighed to herself when she remembered the day she received her gift of her necklace and having her mother taken away from her. She can clearly envision the day where she endured all the pain of grief and suffering. 

“Excuse me!- Magician man! It’s me, Varian!- “ The young alchemist interrupted. He shoved open the curtain entrance of the small circus tent before he could finish his sentence. His face reddened who he came across a woman wearing her robe. He immediately closed the curtain and turned his back behind the tent.  
“S-Sorry about that!... I was trying to look for the magician man. You know, the guy who performs all that cool magic.” He laughed awkwardly; yet he was embarrassed.  
Valerie blushed seeing her love interest first meeting her in a robe. She expected her first meeting with him to be out of the ordinary; in a way to be like one of those cheesy romantic fairytale books she read when she was little.  
“Oh,... It’s alright. I’m a staff member who just happens to work around here in this circus. The, uh, magician man is not here at the moment, but is there something that you would like me to pass the message to him?”  
“I actually wanted to ask him about his coming to Old Corona for his performance? I’m looking forward to watching his show!”  
“Oh, I see.” She chuckled. She greatly adored the young alchemist’s adorable voice. It was like she was drifting on clouds and daydreaming from hearing his sweet voice.  
“Well, he’s just packing up and he would be in Old Corona in two days. So pretty soon his performance would be this coming Friday night.” She answered.  
“Awesome! I’m ready to be fascinated by his spectacular tricks!” His voice was gleamed with a smile.  
Valerie then gathered up the courage to face Varian and opened her circus tent curtain entrance with a smile and gave Varian finger guns, “He’ll be delighted to hear that.”  
“Say, what’s your name and what are you doing around here?” She asked out of curiosity.  
“Oh, the name’s Varian! I’m just hanging around in Corona after the exposition happened. You’d probably haven’t attended it since you’re busy with work.”  
She chuckled, “I’ve actually seen your face at the exposition; your invention was beautifully done.”  
“Aha, funny because I’ve never seen you around there. I guess I was too busy-“ He paused and reddened, thinking about Cassandra which Valerie knew because she had the ability to read people’s minds which was inherited from her mother as a witch.  
“I see, Varian. You do like her, don’t you?” said the woman, knowing what he was talking about.  
She did feel upset and worried about the curse not being broken by him. But she was not sure if she should continue to live, especially being the daughter of her villainous parents.  
“I-Is it that obvious…?”  
She chuckled, “I’ll be honest, yes it is.”  
“Well, I would’ve guessed it earlier if I were you.” He laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. “I’ll be going now because my dad will wonder where I am. It was nice meeting you,...?”  
“Valerie.” She smiled.  
“Valerie.” He repeated and chuckled, “Nice! We both have names that start with ‘v!’ Anyways, I hope to see you sometime at Old Corona!” He waved good-bye and left; leaving Valerie with a smile.


	8. Guarding Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter introduces my other OC, Liam, a new kingdom guard in Corona. Although he doesn't start off too good in his job. But with Pete and Stan by his side, what can go wrong?

It was a bright morning in Corona. The outdoor air was fresh, the wind blew gracefully, the blue sky danced with the puffy clouds, and there was always a piece of melodious chirping music from those lovely birds.   
At the Corona kingdom, there was a new young guard, who was just hired to work recently. Although he was always such a sleepy head during the mornings. He was a seventeen-year-old blondie. His body was thin, yet fit and his eyes were brown as an oak tree.  
In the morning, his duty was to stand and guard the kingdom entrance along with Pete and Stan. He was leaning against the brick wall; his helmet covering his face as he snored loudly. 

“Pst! Stan!” Pete whisper-shouted, “Should we wake up Liam? Captain will get nuts after seeing him like this during his work time.”  
“I don’t know. This poor guy hasn’t been getting enough sleep from his guard training before he got employed. Probably it’s best if we leave him alone. Besides we got his back.” 

Liam, the blonde boy, was his name. It was true that he was not earning enough sleep during his guard training. He was desperate to get a job because he has no earnings. Although he wanted to open a bakeshop because baking pastries was his hobby, but his father encouraged him to become a guard. 

By the time the captain guard came back to the kingdom place, he sternly approached the guard who was taking a nap during his job.   
“Liam Jansen napping on duty.” He put his hands on his hips with a frown; his moustache and his nose were stuck up. The boy was still napping. He continued to snore even louder which made the captain irritated.   
“AHEM... Liam Jansen.”   
The blonde boy budged awake with a snort, “O-Oh, good morning, captain!” He straightened his posture with a salute; his helmet sloppily placed on his head.  
“Hm, I see that our new guard was sleeping on duty.”   
“I apologize, captain. This won’t ever happen again.”   
“Good to hear, boy. Because today, you will be patrolling around in Corona to catch anyone who is on the wanted list.” ordered the captain, who was marching back and forth in front of Liam, “I don’t want you to be misplacing your focus with any sidelines. Understood?”  
“Yes, captain.”   
“Oh, and also, Stan and Pete will be your crime partners.” He added, “Now you three must begin.”   
The captain left the three guards along with Liam felt the dependence weighing him like a boulder rock. He knew that being a guard took a lot of responsibility, but he needed his earnings for his family to survive; even if it means to work diligently hard.   
“Hey, why don’t we visit that one magician man who just came here a few days ago?” Requested Pete.  
“Oh, come on, Pete. We’re supposed to patrol the area and not anything else.”  
“I mean, we are since the captain said to patrol around Corona.”  
“Hm,... Well, I suppose... As long as if we’re doing our job, we’re good.”  
“What do you think, Liam?”  
The boy was zoning out during their conversation, but then he snapped back to reality when they called out to him.  
“Oh, I’m fine with starting anywhere for our job.” He yawned loudly and stretched out his arms in the air.  
“Boy, you seem really exhausted from all that training. Well, maybe it’s best to that we can take care of this job-“  
“Oh, no, no, no. It’s totally fine!” Liam shook his hands in defence, “Besides, the captain will be furious if I’m not obeying his orders anyway. So I’ll be fine.”


	9. Chapter Nine - Backstory: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is part 3 of Valerie's backstory.

Walking back to the cottage at home, little Diana cried along the way back. Her puffy eyes became swollen after weeping some time. The night became darker and windier which made the child hug herself to keep herself warm. The cold gave goosebumps across her arms.   
When she managed to find her home, she quickly entered the warm area and closed the door behind her. She took off towards her bedroom and tried to settle herself in bed; hoping all that just happened was just a dream. But she was having a difficult time managing herself to fall asleep with the disturbance of what she encountered. She imagined her father waiting for her at the north mountain in their little cabin that they usually visit.   
Suddenly, she remembered the necklace her mother gave her. She promptly rose from her bed and held onto her the emerald gemstone that glowed extremely brightly. She shut her eyes and unbelievably she could see every and any specific human being that she thought of in mind. She spectated her mother and found her along with her father sitting in the same jail room. Diana was confused to see them behind jail bars, but her curious mind made her wonder what caused this to happen to them.   
With her little eyes awake, she continued to spectate her parents in distress.   
“Ath, I tried...I’m sorry for all the mess that I did in the past...I should’ve let Diana know about this beforehand...” He buried his hands in anguish while his wife comforted him with a hug.  
“It’s okay, Damien. I knew this would happen anyway. We can’t change the past and the future.”  
“Did they take away Diana?”  
“No,...before we separated, I gave her my necklace. I thought she needed it more than me. Besides she should be watching over us by now.”   
“Ath, the all-seeing-eye necklace is incredibly rare.”  
“But I’m sure that our little Diana will be responsible for it. And that necklace has been used over the past generations. I wouldn’t be surprised if it still worked by now. Not only can you use it to see anything you want, but it also holds something unique...the love-eye.”  
“Ath, what about your spellbook? I’m afraid it will be stolen with the place empty. They could make use of that and have an advantage.”  
She chuckled, “The spellbook only works in the right hands like Diana and me.”   
Little Diana never knew there was a spellbook in the house. She quickly thought of the spellbook, but unexpectedly it poofed in a cloud of white smoke right before her eyes; like the item just teleported. She placed her hands on the book and flipped through the pages, scheming through each spell and steps on how-to-do them.   
She then found one spell for the emerald necklace that was called entrance.  
‘Open a doorway for an entry. Exhibit the curiosities that hold. Unveil to me what has been hidden. Unlock the secrets that have been forbidden.’   
Diana’s eyes gleamed in white light with the portal slowly opening to the jail bars with her parents.   
“Diana!” Exclaimed Damien. Athena held him back.  
“Mommy! Daddy! Grab my hand!” She reaches out her arm, eager for her parents to hold on and come back home with her.  
“Diana,” Her mother gently said, “I’m sorry,...we cannot make it.”  
“W-What do you mean? But they’re-“  
“Shh, please listen to me, Diana. Your mother can tell you what will happen in the future. And I’m afraid that if we take your hand, this will cause turmoil. Especially for you.”  
“I don’t understand...mommy, why aren't you and daddy grabbing my hand?”  
Her mother sighed, “We were criminals... in the past, but we’ve changed Diana. We realized our mistakes and we didn’t want to continue living like that because we acknowledged that being a thief wasn’t right.”  
“But I trusted you, mommy and daddy...why did you keep everything away from me?”  
“Diana, I’m really sorry. I also have to mention that... you are cursed, but it’s genetic. Every curse that witches hold is different, but they all have the same solution. It’s to be broken by love.”   
Damien automatically became puzzled, “Cursed?” He repeated.  
“Yes, I was cursed as well. But luckily it was broken by you when you fell for me.”  
“But mommy what happens if my curse is never broken?”  
Athena didn’t answer her question, “Please just listen to mommy, Diana. It would be best to begin to break your curse as early as possible. Your curse would occur when you undergo through your teenage years. The spellbook should guide you to crushing your curse.”  
“Mommy? Daddy?... Will you come back home with me? I can’t hold open this portal any longer.” She grunted.   
Her mother reached out to cup her daughter’s face and gently smiled, “Goodbye, Diana.”  
The portal automatically closed from Diana holding too much strength for opening it. The little child held herself on the bed with a blank mind and an expressionless face when she zoned out and slowly fell to sleep.


	10. Chapter Ten - The Dancer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the three guards reached the performance show, it turns out that Liam became "interested."

“Liam, come on! I bet you will be entertained!” Grinned Pete.  
“Of course, he’ll enjoy the show!” Agreed Stan, nudging his elbow against the blonde-man.  
The boy sighed, “Honestly, I bet it’s all just childish tricks.”   
Reaching the performance stage, they consequently made it in time for the show. There was a large sum of crowd who cheered in excitement and applause.   
The red curtains opened and there appeared the announcer, “Ladies and gentlemen... Are you ready to feast your eyes?”  
The crowd hollered enthusiasm in a response.  
“I present to you,... the magician man!”  
The magician materialized on stage as the crowd went wild. He throw out   
playing cards towards the crowd that transformed into a white doves flapping up in the sky. The magician joined the birds by walking up in the air beneath the audience making her way to the sky. The young children were jumping up and down in excitement.   
“... How can he walk on mid-air?” Questioned Liam.  
“I don’t know. That’s why it’s called, ‘magic’, Liam.” Teased Stan.  
The magician slowly made his way back on the stage and bowed down as the audience applauded.   
“That shouldn’t be the end of the show?”  
Stan and Pete looked at each other in grins and then at Liam.  
“Do you want to continue watching the show?”  
“Certainly not!” Assured Liam.  
The announcer came back on stage, “Ladies, gentlemen, and children... The show isn’t over yet. Come and see the fairest dancer, Valerie, in town!”  
The magician threw down a ball of white smoke onto the ground. Out appeared a female beauty from the vapour. Her long wavy hair flowed in the air dancing around the stage while the crowd went wild. Her legs twirling while she effortlessly gestured her arms in the air. She tapped her toes in a rhythmic beat while the crowd clapped along. Her silky dress flowed through the gentle breeze.   
Liam gazed at the beautiful figure moving skillfully as if she was as free from everything.  
Stan noticed the blonde-man’s eyes watching carefully at the performer on stage and grinned while Pete laughed along with him, “Aha, looks like someone’s in love.”  
The boy broke his stare and shook his head, “N-No, I’m not! It’s just that...-“  
He continued to watch the dancer perform her hypnotizing moves.  
“What was her name?”  
“I think it was,... Valerie.” Answered Stan.  
“Hm,... Valerie.” Repeated Liam.  
When the show was almost over, the female dancer ended off with splits, arms in the air, bright radiant smiles, and a wink to all the boys in the crowd who howled and whistled in cheers along with the audience.  
“So, let’s get back to guarding?” Asked Pete.  
“...Yeah, let’s do that...” Said Liam, his eyes still focused on Esma, the dancer.


	11. A Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valerie exits off the stage and returns to her little circus tent to rest; until she encounters a man who traps her with only three choices.

After the female dancer finished her performance, she took off to the back of the stage.  
In the crowd, there was a man who appeared to be in his late twenties. He knew about the witches and he knows that those creatures were still out there. He was strongly against them, especially that they all equally hold unique beauties which he detested about. He loathed the fact that they can do witchcraft, potions, spells, enchantment, sorcery, and all those aspects.   
How he knew about the witches was because he used to be in love with one. They were both in love at a young age, but then she died from her curse. Yet, it was unknown to him what was the reason why she died. After her death, he wanted to learn more about these fascinating creatures through research in books at the libraries.   
When the ‘magician man’ did her little tricks on stage, he knew right away what she did was all true magic which he calls, ‘witchcraft.’

Valerie returned back to her small circus tent and prepared herself to visit Old Corona where Varian lives, the one who thinks this young alchemist can break her genetic curse. She was in her rob as the usual inside her tent while she was brushing her long hair and looking at her reflection in the dresser mirror. 

“Ehem, excuse me.”   
She turned around to the voice, walked and stood by the entrance curtain of the tent.  
“Ah, yes, sir?”  
“Sorry, may I come in.”  
“Um, certainly.”   
There appeared a man. His hair was white as snow and his eyes were dark brown as an oak tree. He wore a black cape that hung down on his body. The man stared at the beauty in front of him. Her hypnotizing hazel eyes along with her small yet plumped lips made him swallow his throat. She almost looked like his lover who died in his arms. Her eyes, nose, lips, and face resembled her.   
But Valerie was only 16 while he was in his late twenties.   
“Can I help you, sir?” Asked Valerie, getting uncomfortable and avoiding his gaze.   
“I apologize, I’m Louis.” He shook off his gaze, “I was impressed by your dancing skills... Especially by your so-called, ‘magician tricks.’” His eyes asserted into a glare as he slowly walked in a circle with his hands behind his back.  
The teenage girl folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow, “Well, Louis. What brings you here? Are you here to judge me?”  
“Oh, no. I’m not the one who will judge,... the people will judge once they find out who you really are.”  
“So what’s your motive here, Louis? I’m not here to harm anyone.”  
“Motive? What is your motive for coming to Corona? You witches are here to destroy every single piece of land and rule over the world. Isn’t that your motive?”  
“No, in fact, I would like you to leave now, sir.” She pushed his back toward the exit, but he firmly resisted.  
“If you bring me out of this tent, I will tell the townspeople here about your true identity. And not only you were a witch, but you are the daughter of Damien, that most wanted thief, and Athena, the monstrous witch.”  
“What do you want from me?!”  
He slowly leaned over to Valerie face-to-face with a smirk across his face, “Let’s just say that if you do what I say, maybe I can break your curse?”  
“But how...? You can’t break my curse only if-“  
“The one who is in love with you can.”  
He gently brushed her hair which made her back away from his touch.   
“I know you, witches, very well. Especially all your witchcraft and abilities that you can do. You can do whatever I say or you can either choose to be exposed with your identity in town once I’ve revealed it or you can allow yourself to die from your poor genetic curse. Just three choices. It’s really up to you after all.”  
“Please, don’t reveal anything about me... I’ve just made it this far in my journey and I barely made any progress with breaking my curse. Just don’t tell anyone about my identity.” She plopped down to her knees and sulked down.  
“Hm, using the word, ‘please?’ I suppose that there’s something that I want you to do...”  
She looked up at him, “And what’s that...?”  
He knelt down and tilted her chin with a gradual smile, “I want you to be mine.”


	12. Apples

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the entertainment on stage, the guards - Liam, Pete, and Stan continue to walk around in Corona. Until they accidentally bumped into a woman carrying a basket of apples.

“Aw, Liam seems upset from leaving the show.” Teased Stan.  
“Especially with that dancer on stage.” Added Pete.  
“Okay, I have to admit, it wasn’t some kind of childish trick that the magician man did play.”  
“What about Valerie, the dancer?” Asked Stan.  
“What about her?”   
“Well, you seemed to be awfully attracted to her. As if you were the fly attracted to something sweet I would say.”  
“Oh, come on. Are we really going to be talking about this or should we focus on our job?” Liam crossed his arms as he cocked an eyebrow with a giggle.   
Stan chuckled, “You’re right, Liam. Let’s continue to guard this place.”  
Suddenly, there was a cloaked woman who accidentally bumped into Liam. The pile of apples fell off the basket from her grasp; rolling on the ground.   
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir.” She whispered, bending over to pick up and collect the fruits.   
“No, biggie. We got this under control.” Smiled Pete as he helped along. Her hooded cloak fell down which revealed her to be the dancer from the stage.   
“You’re Valerie the dancer, aren’t you!” Pointed out, Pete.  
“Ah, yes. I am.” She chuckled as she quickly put back on her hood. She stood back up on the ground with all the apples back in the basket.   
“I’ll have to go, thanks for the help.” She placed the basket on her head as she walked off.  
She was walking again with the basket upon her head until Liam quickly approached her, “Ah- sorry, but would you like some help with all those apples on your, um, head?”   
She gently smiled, “I’m alright, just helping to stock them up in the food markets.”   
“I see, well, have a good day,...” He, again, has forgotten her name.   
“It’s Valerie.”  
“Ah, right. I forgot.” He laughed nervously.  
“No problem. We’ll meet again,...”  
“Liam. Sorry I didn’t mention my name.” He laughed nervously again, but with his arm scratching the back of his head.  
“Hm, Liam. Better than the name Valerie.” She smiled once more and headed off to where she was going, leaving the young blonde guard flustered.


	13. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning back in the tent, Valerie gives the basket of apples to Louis. When she told the truth that she was in love with someone else, Louis' wrath grew immediately. After the commotion, Louis settles down by walking around the area of Corona.

“There...” Said Valerie, placing the basket of apples on the ground, “I’ve got your basket of apples. Why are you trying to hold me hostage?” She crossed her arms. He grabbed an apple and took a bite, “Well...” He chewed, “This tastes sweet.”  
“Louis, are you going to answer me or not?” She frowned.  
“The reason I’m holding you back is that I don’t want anyone else to fall in love with you.” He said as he looked at the beautiful horizon with the apple still placed on his hand.  
“What do you mean by that? If no one breaks this genetic curse then I’m gone.”  
“Because you have me. You said you didn’t want me to reveal your true identity to this town. I’m the one who can break your curse. No one else.” he took another bite of his apple, “Do you have any friends or anyone close?”  
She became brood when he asked that question and looked down with a deep sigh, “I don’t... “   
He gazed at her face when she looked away. The apples of his cheeks reddened just by the sight of her beauty. The more he looked at her, the more he chased after her. He was not sure if he was really in love, but he was sure he could actually help out with the girl’s curse.  
She looked up at him and the man quickly looked away with him biting his apple again, which was almost an apple cob.   
“I’m not sure if I can really trust you. You seem to be...-“   
“Older than my age... “ She thought in her mind.   
He settled down his apple on her dresser mirror, “Yes, you can. I’m the only one who can break your curse!... and save you.” He lowered behind her ear and softly spoke, “Would you like to end up like some of those other witches who were eaten by their own curse?”   
“No,... No, I don’t want to end up like them... “ She held her head from the stress and fear that gave her a headache, “Look, I don’t feel comfortable about this..”  
He gently sighed and placed his arm on her shoulder, “Remember that I can spill your identity here.”  
She sulked with her arms folded with her lips in vexation.   
Valerie shook her head through trying to get out of her thoughts and focus on the situation. She looked at the palms of her hands and stared at them. All she knew what she needed to do was be honest with Louis, instead of keeping things away from him. She then looked at the man who was also looking at her for a while.  
“Louis, I should have told you this. But... I’m already in love with someone else. The curse wouldn’t work if... I’m not in love with you too.”  
He widened his eyes in shock to hear the news.   
“I see... “ He was silent with grief that slowly turned to anger. He clenched his fists and grind his teeth, “Who is this man?”  
She looked up at him with fear and he repeated the same question but he raised his voice. She looked back down and stared at the ground, “I’m not telling you.”  
Louis threw most of Valerie's furniture inside the circus tent with rage. Most of her belongings were broken.   
“This is how severe my heart is.” He clenched his chest, “Every time I see you, I don’t know what I see. An angel or some kind of hell. But it makes me baffled what you really are. Your beauty makes me go insane, but I’m not sure if it’s really a monster in disguise.”   
She continued to look down on the ground, without making eye contact with him. Her eyes swarmed up in a puddle of warm tears rolling down her cheeks.  
“I-I’m not sure what I am exactly too... People see me as a monster because my parents were criminals and others see me as an angel because of outward appearance. I’m still finding out who I am, Louis! Don’t you dare give me any title of who I am! I want to be seen as a human!” She cried out as she hid her tearful face away in her arms.   
The man’s heart panicked at the sobbing girl with silence. He then looked at her emerald necklace that flowed dimly. Valerie covered and rested her face in her bare hands.   
“I’m sorry... I’ll be heading out to explore a bit here in Corona..” He looked back to see if the black-haired girl would answer, but she simply sniffed.


	14. Goldilocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Louis is out roaming in Corona - Valerie escapes outside of the tent and unexpectedly bumped into Liam, the young Kingdom guard of Corona.

In the market of Corona, one of the guards from Corona kingdom was sent to patrol the streets. With the blonde boy, Liam, assigned to do his job by the guard captain. He was taking a nap just by the side of the street in the shadows where not a lot of people spotted him. It was the next early morning where he would take the chance to sleep in and relax.  
Valerie, in her long dark hooded cloaked, unexpectedly found him just by the side of the street. His guard helmet tipped over, covering his face as he snored with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall of Uncle Monty’s sweets shop. She sneakily approached him and smiled at the sleepy boy snoring awfully loud during his work time.  
She lifted the helmet off his face and looked closely at his face. She could see his rosy cheeks up close and his long blonde lashes.  
“Hello...“ She whispered in a smile.  
He snorted and awoken with his eyes open, “Hm? Oh, hello..” He shut his eyes back to sleep mode but immediately opened his eyes again in shock. The girl was extremely close to him face-to-face which made the boy flustered; he backed away with his armour clamping.  
“G-Gah! I-It’s you!”  
“Yes, it is..” She looked at him toe to head and then made eye contact, “Have you forgotten my name?”  
“Oh,... No, no… Valerie, am I correct?”  
She giggled with her hand pressed against her lips in a thinking position, “Yeah, that’s about it.”  
“And you remember my name...?”  
“Yes, I do, Liam.”  
She then put her hands behind her back with her legs kicking back, “So... “  
She approached him, close up, face-to-face again, “Will you be free to hang out?”  
“Free? Me? To hang out with you?”  
She nodded with a smile along with her hands behind her back.  
“I’m sorry,... I can’t, I have my guarding duty and captain would’ve killed me if he caught me sleeping in this morning again  
She understood with a nod, “No problem. We can hang out when we’re both free.”  
He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his scalp, “I apologize, Valerie.”  
“That’s alright, it’s a normal thing to happen anyway. Good thing you remember my name.” She smiled once again and gave a salute, “I better go now, I’ll see you sometime, Goldilocks.”  
She walked away with a grin across her face leaving the flustered boy behind.  
“G-Goldilocks?”


	15. Under the Moonlight 🌙

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian appears in a strange area. Everything feels so real to him, but is it all real?

(♫ Please click on the link in brackets below when it’s asking to be on cue to have the music on for this chapter ♫).

“W-Where am I?” The young alchemist boy wandered in the dark. He couldn’t see clearly in the dark abyss. Where he was walking seemed like an open platform field. “Dad?... Rapunzel? Cassie?... Anyone?”  
Suddenly, he found light through the darkness. A light that shone from the moon. Under the moonlight, appeared Valerie, freely dancing gracefully. Her eyes met Varian’s and she slowly approached him with her radiant smile, her hair flowing elegantly as if she were in outer space.  
“Varian, you’re here.” She merrily said.  
“Valerie, it’s been a while since we’ve met!”  
“Yes, it has been, Varian...” She gazed at the cheerful boy who was smiling at him. It made her heart warm up and happy just to see his face. She felt the sense of joyful delight jumping up and down in her stomach. It was like stars and sparkles shone behind him whenever she saw him with his beautiful fluttering eyes.  
Suddenly, the black rocks abruptly appeared from the ground. The stripe-haired boy was frozen in place and panicked at the sight as each and every rock rising from the ground. Their sharp pointy tips shined like a pointed knife.  
He panically looked at her and back at the black rocks, “Valerie, the black rocks! We must leave immediately!”  
She calmed him down, “Don’t worry, Varian. This is all a dream, they won’t hurt you here.”  
She gave a comforting smile and held out her hand, “May I have this dance?” She asked softly.  
The boy’s panicked eyes looked at hers as he tried to process his thoughts in his mind, then took her by the hand. 

\- Cue music -  
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caFQiGI2HtY)

They danced around in a circle, eyes locked and hands intertwined together with Valerie taking the lead. She twirled Varian once. The sparkles of glitter glowed within their aura with the stars clapping in a twinkle and with the moonlight as their spotlight. They slowly float in mid air as they dance around in a swirl like a tornado.  
Varian’s blue eyes were still locked with Valerie’s. His eyes captivated by her glowing hazel eyes. He couldn’t look away, but only stare at her face as they danced away in the night. She smiled at the boy, having him in her arms and taking the lead in the dance. Her dress flowed gracefully and her wavy hair dancing along her movements. The wind blew gently as the two continued to dance along to the music. They were dancing waltz in mid air. Varian dancing with Valerie and holding onto her felt it was more than a dream, as if it was real.  
“I-... I feel like I’m flying.” Varian said hesitantly, as he looked down his feet below him.  
He became puzzled when he suddenly saw the street lights of Corona and the structured built homes. He unexpectedly saw the black rocks again, rising from the ground. He became fearful from the sight, but Valerie tilted his chin upwards looking at him with a smile; she was close to his face, making the boy flustered. She chuckled and carried on being the lead in the dance. Varian enjoyed himself feeling the gentle breeze against his skin while the Moonlit still shone on them.  
Instantaneously, while the two were dancing, the place transformed into a ballroom with many dazzling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There were other people dancing waltz to the music as well such as Princess Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert, the queen and king of Corona, and other citizens of Corona. The room was beautifully bright with lights and candles. The black rocks were now off the boy's mind and he was focused and fascinated by the beauty of the ballroom.  
“Nice mask and costume, Varian.” Beamed Valerie.  
They were both wearing masquerade masks, all dressed up in fancy clothing. Varian was wearing a jet black tuxedo, wine red bow tie, along with snow white gloves. Valerie, on the other hand, was wearing a bright glowing yellow pastel dress that glistened into sparkles; she wore her green emerald necklace that just hung around her neck. The necklace proudly shone brightly in the light.  
“W- But how…?” He asked, as he looked at his costume, puzzled.  
“I told you. It’s all a dream.” She answered gently, giving him another swirl once again.  
Valerie had the ability to meet other people through dreams. She knew that she did not have enough time to spend with Varian. She wanted to see his face and feel that feeling again where her heart goes love-struck. And she needed her genetic curse to break if only he could fall for her the same way she did. His adorableness was his charm to her, including his clumsiness.  
To Varian, his dream almost felt life-like. Like it was more than a dream. He felt more control over his body and his dancing skills were effortless.  
In the centre of the ballroom, the tall girl and short boy were the one who was in the spotlight of the dance. Other couples were dancing with the flow of the music. The lovely dress that Valerie wore brought in the attention of the audience. She showed off, dancing with the person she likes on the stage. Then, there was a stunning woman standing in the distance. Her lipstick was red as wine just like Varian’s bow tie, her gloves were elegant, and her dress complimented her appearance. The hair-striped boy squinted his eyes and widened his eyes in excitement.  
“Cassie?” He wanted to draw near her, but Esma halted him. “Wait,... How about we take a drink at the fruit punch stand?”  
Varian looked at Valerie and then Cass. “You said this was a dream. How is it possible for us to taste the fruit punch?” The boy asked. “We can just probably talk in that area instead?” She laughed it off.  
He shook his head, “I’ll be back in a few. I’ll meet you there.” His eyes still focused on the woman. She watched as her love interest walked up to his crush, giving his engrossed gaze. Her heart felt like it was being attacked by pain. Valerie then quietly sighed to herself and ended the dream.  
There was no way that Valerie will get Varian to fall for her. It felt impossible. She wanted to just give up, but how? How could she give up? She needed to save herself from her genetic curse.


	16. A Dream

Varian suddenly woke up from his bed and immediately sprung up with a cold sweat across his forehead. He was catching his breath. His lips then formed into a smile and he chuckled in realization, “It was all a dream.” Beside him was a large window; there were crickets in the dark night, chirping, while the stars and moon shone brightly. His eyes were fascinated by the light of the moon. It was beautiful. He went back to bed and closed his eyes, but he could not get back to sleep. His mind was awake and his eyes were open; he was staring at his wall room with a downhearted look on his face. He was not sure what to feel and now he couldn’t remember his dream too well. He turned the other side of his bed to get a better posture of sleeping, but nothing worked. He sighed and again he stared at his room ceiling with the light bulb having down and facing below him. His arm was over his forehead as his heart paced normally.   
He didn’t understand his dream, what happened and what it meant. Of course, dreams were bizarre but could his dream be possibly giving a sign to him? He was unsure. Finally, he managed to slowly fall asleep as the dark night took him away and the moonlight shone on him. Valerie was watching over him through her magic and was deeply upset. She had the doubt Varian would ever fall for a girl like her. The tears in eyes rolled down her cheeks as her nose sniffled. Even if Valerie was not stuck under this genetic curse, would she still be able to find love? The witch reached out her hand to the night sky and tried to grab the twinkling stars that were displayed beautifully. Her eyes were still formed into sadness as she clenched onto her emerald necklace.   
“It’s over, isn’t it?”


	17. The Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valerie becomes incredibly upset over thinking she is never going to break her curse. But in the end, someone proves her wrong.

It was dusk in the land of Corona. The young tall witch was walking down the sidewalk, holding onto herself with upset eyes displayed on her face. How could she get her hopes up when the young alchemist was already in love? She thought to herself everything she did was a complete waste of time and stupid. She tried to save herself from her curse, but she can’t. Only the person who loves her back can save her. Only with a true love’s kiss.   
She then sighed to herself and continued walking, but only forming tears in her eyes. But to her surprise Varian halted Valerie, “I saw you in my dreams…”  
She turned around to the voice and silently cried, “I saw you too.”   
The wind grew greatly, yet gently as their hair flowed in the direction of the wind. The silence was placed between them until the boyfriend of Princess Rapunzel came in the scene.   
The brown-haired man’s hands were placed on his hips. “Hey, hey! What did I miss?” He rubbed the hair of the young alchemist, “Hey, kid!”  
The two laughed in joy as the witch smiled humbly.   
“Oh, Eugene; this is Valerie, the female magician. You’ve already met her before.” Introduced Varian.  
She smiled with a nod, “Hello, Eugene Fitzherbert. It’s a pleasure to meet you again.”   
The man looked at the witch in surprise, “Y-You’re the magician man??” His hand almost covered his mouth.   
Her smile was still across her face, “I am.”  
“Magician woman.” Varian corrected as the girl chuckled.  
“That’s cool! What’s your plan here in Corona for your job?”   
The black-haired girl's eyes drifted into the distance, she never thought of how to answer that question.  
“I… I’ve been planning to find love.” She whispered with her hair covering her face.   
“Why quiet, Valerie? That’s nothing to be completely embarrassed about!” The man laughed.   
“Because… I’m stuck under a curse that needs to be broken. A curse that is needed to be broken by love.” Her eyes were now staring on the ground, making no eye contact.   
“A curse? What do you mean, Valerie?” Varian asked concerningly.  
“It’s complicated-... Just forget what I said. I was being overly dramatic.” But as soon as she walked away, Varian grabbed her hand.   
“You can trust us, Valerie. We can probably try to help you.”   
“Varian’s right.” Agreed Eugene.  
The witch silently sighed in sadness, “I just…”  
“Come on, we could discuss this somewhere else.” Smiled Eugene, “Let’s say at your circus tent?”   
The girl immediately shook her hands, “NO!”   
The two looked at her confusingly while she smiled in embarrassment, “I mean, no. We cannot because I’ve already packed it out because I’m visiting Old Corona.” She lied, “We could try going to Princess Rapunzel.”   
Eugene’s smile grew bigger, “She’s the girl you can also trust, trust me.”   
—————————————————————  
“A curse you say?” The Princess of Corona exclaimed.   
“Yes, your highness. And I am needing to break it. But I cannot break it myself. Only someone else can…”   
“Hm, sounds pretty fake and a waste of time.” Cassandra’s arms were crossed, “Guess I’m heading to bed.” She walked away with a careless face until Rapunzel stopped her.  
“Oh, come on, Cassandra. It sounds really serious. She looks too young for her age to have something like this happen to her.”   
“So you’re telling me her fairytales and fantasies are all real?” Frowned Cassandra.  
“Cass, it may be hard to believe, but we must help her.”  
“But we don’t even know her!” Cassandra faced Valerie, “Hey, kid. Mind if you explain yourself?”   
“Me?”   
“Yes, you.” The woman crossed her arms once again.   
“Well, I-...”  
After a few minutes of silence, Cassandra wanted to head out, “See, Raps, she’s probably dreaming.” 

The witch then clenched her hands in a swarm of sudden tears, “H-...HEY!”   
This brought the attention to Cassandra, Rapunzel, Varian and Eugene.   
“Look, it’s going to be complicated to explain for me and but to quickly say this, I am a witch. My father and mother were mistaken for taking a princess away from a kingdom because they were one of the highest criminal couples. But they already realized their mistake. And I’m not sure where they are because they were taken to jail… Away from me. Now, as a witch, it’s common for us to have genetic curses. But they need to be broken by love! And if it’s too late, I won’t be able to survive too long…”   
Valerie bowed her head down but the Princess touched her cheeks, looking at her face. She could see the cracks slowly breaking up close.   
“I’m happy you spoke the truth. Don’t let anyone stop you from being honest.” She smiled. The witch slowly gave a gentle smile back. 

“How adorable, the witch is now making friends… Isn’t that just cute?” A sudden voice came into the scene which brought Valerie into fear.   
“Louis!” She screamed in dismay, “What are you doing here?”  
He walked in a circle around the group as he checked out his shining rings placed on his fingers, “I should be the one asking that question, darling.”  
“Get away from me, you creep!!” She shouted in anger but she was hiding behind the Princess back in fear.   
“If you would have listened to me, then none of this trouble would have happened. But here you are, exposed.”  
Rapunzel stood up, “She was reaching out for help and was being honest!”  
“She was lying to you and manipulating you all! Don’t you see she’s the daughter of Damien and Athena? The top criminal couples out there? And she’s a witch! A monster who manipulates you and deliberately makes you gullible!”   
“She’s not a monster. She’s our friend. And she’s needing our help to save her.” Varian stood up, protecting Valerie behind his back.   
The man wickedly laughed, “Her? A friend? How adorable! The power of friendship!” He viciously mocked.   
“You better leave her alone or you’re out of here.” Joined Eugene.  
“Or you’re going to have to be beaten up by me.” Cassandra also joined.   
The man smirked, “Is that so? Well, then… Perhaps, Valerie, your curse will never be broken. I was your only hope. Who will get to break it?”   
Valerie sulked down, “I don’t know…” She whispered.  
“You see. Because I’m the one who can only break it. NOT him!” Louis pointed at Varian aggressively.  
The young alchemist was surprised, “Me? But I-“  
“Exactly, you’re in love with someone else, aren’t you?”  
Varian kept quiet and did not answer because it was true. Valerie silently cried. There was no hope and it was no use. She’s going to be eaten by her curse. 

“But I’m in love with her.” The young Corona guard walked into the scene, “I saw this man crept into this kingdom palace and I knew he was going to set some trouble.” Stan and Pete were also alongside him.  
“Great, Prince Charming has come to save the day. What are you going to do? Fight me?” Mocked Louis.  
“If that’s what you wish, sir, then I am willing to accept the challenge.” He drew his sword, pointing towards the man’s chin as Louis smirked.   
“Whoever wins this fight also wins Valerie.” Grinned the man.   
The young girl came between and halted the men with her arms, “Both of you, stop. Just stop!”   
“Coming here to Corona, I meant no trouble or harm. I only wanted to break this spell.” She clenched onto her emerald necklace, “I apologize for wasting all of your time, but I think we should just give up. Besides, Louis is right, I am a monster. And only a monster.” Her skin started to chip off and crack. Her curse was slowly starting to eat her. She dropped to her knees and covered her face.   
“It’s too late now... “  
Liam grabbed the girl’s wrists and cried, “NO! I’m the one who is in love with you, Valerie! Please don’t give up!” He kissed her, quickly smashing his lips against hers. She widened her eyes in shock but became relieved. She was finally saved with a true love’s kiss. They caught their breath and smiled at each other. Valerie cupped her hand on Liam’s face with tears of joy, “You… You saved me. Why?”  
“Because he truly loves you, Valerie.” The hair-striped boy smiled as Liam scratched the back of his neck, feeling bashful.  
“You remembered my name too.” The witch grinned at the young guard.  
“Y-Yes, I did, haha.” He blushed even more and chuckled nervously.

Louis stood there, smiling in defeat but he felt happier rather than jealous. As the group were joyful and relieved for finding the solution to the problem, the man walked away.

“Wait, Louis, where are you going?” Asked Valerie.   
He turned around, “My job has already been finished. I’ll be finding love somewhere in this world.” He gently chuckled.  
“And before I leave, I apologize for everything I’ve done, Valerie. I guess I was that desperate to find love.”  
She gently smiled, “It’s alright, I forgive you, Louis.”  
“And Liam,”  
“Yes, sir?”  
“Take care of her, will you?” The man then walked away with a smile planted on his face as the two young couple were together.


End file.
